What Makes You Smile?....

Today, this picture makes me smile!

Last week was a HeckOfAWeek! With the winter weather that we have to deal with just about year round here in Wyoming, it's easy to give in to Winter Blues. But last week sure was a doozy! We've actually had more sunny days with bouts of snow in between but I don't get out as often as I should..it's a mix between being Lazy and not liking the whole "driving in snow" thingy (yes, I said THINGY!). My Dad has also been dealing with some pretty serious health issues recently so I was thinking about him and just missing my family in Hawaii. For any of you who follow me on Facebook you probably saw that my status last Wednesday read:

"you ever have those moments where you wish you could walk across land and ocean to go visit with your mom & dad?

i do."

Long story short, my dad called me the next evening with some not so happy news...his oncologist told him that he had Stage IV cancer and it had spread to his bones (mainly in his spine and chest right now). I had called him earlier in the day and we talked quite a bit and I was able to grieve and come to peace with what my Dad would have to deal with from this point on.

Little did I know that the next morning was only going to bring more sad news...my sister called to let me know that there was a tsunami warning for the state of Hawaii and that the tsunami was being generated because of an 8.9 earthquake that occurred off of the coast of Sendai, Japan. I started shaking and my heart started racing. Yes, for the tsunami that was heading towards Hawaii where all my family lives, but also because of the devastation I knew I'd see if I turned on the news. And I did..turn on the news that is. You see, I served in the Sendai Japan mission and have a great love for that area and a love for all of the lovely people that live there and in the surrounding areas. I didn't think my heart could take any more sad news, but I guess the heart is a stronger muscle than I give it credit for...thank goodness for that!

This is what I've decided to keep in my strong little heart after everything that's recently happened ~ Love your family! Though this lifetime may not be Forever, our families definitely are FOREVER! Also, when you're prompted to do something good, do it! I'm prompted to send what little money I can give to the American Red Cross, and since this is all I can do right now for my brothers and sisters in Japan, I will do it! Life is too short and too precious to sit and be sad {right Dad? :D} so go out and Love More, Give More, Live More! And definitely...most definitely...SMILE MORE!

Darn you, Broken Video Capability!

If ever there was a day that I wished I had a little point & shoot camera OR that I owned a FliP video camera, today would have been that day!! Today we had dental appointments for all three kids down in Roy, UT. We knew we were in for a long day when we were told that it would take at least an hour for just ONE of our children (I won't say who) and that two of them would require anesthesia because of all the work that needed to be done. Well, needless to say I was a bit nervous heading down, not just because the roads were slick from the heavy snowfall the night before, but I was unsure of how my children would react to anesthesia since the two that were getting put under had never been put out before. Little did I know the "treat" that I was in for....yes, get ready to give me the Mean Mommy of the Year Award!

Aaron had taken the day off to go down with me today so he went in with Child #1 to get the anesthesia work done. They went back to get the child ready because I didn't want Child #2 to see that there was a shot in the arm that happened BEFORE they put Mr. Sleepy Mask on. Well, when Aaron came back to the lobby he looked a bit shaken and said "Whew, that was kinda scary!" to which I replied, "You mean that was Cool right?" since Child #2 was sitting right next to me. About 40 minutes later, Child #1 was done and it was Child #2's turn. I went back with the child and Aaron stayed with Child #1 in recovery. As I sat in the chair with Child #2, they had the child pick some toys to distract said child...a poke later and the child is still pretty chatty and we start talking about all the cool Pixar paintings on the wall...then all the sudden child's head pops up and the child says in a panicked voice, "My eyes can't see right?!?!" The poor child says this, then starts zoning out while staring at it's own hands in awe and wonderment....Cue laughing fits from Mean Mommy of the Year!!!!

I had never seen a drugged child before (except for that infamous YouTube video of the boy talking to his Dad after his trip to the dentist) and I probably should've been more scared or worried or at least a bit concerned as opposed to Humored, but Gosh Darnit I could NOT stop Laughing! If y'all had been there you might have questioned WHO was on drugs ~ that's how much I was laughing! OR, you all might have given me the "Stink Eye" for laughing so hard but let me just add that I was laughing so hard that I had the receptionist and all the rest of the medical assistants that were up front with her in laughing fits!! The Nurse Anesthesist came to get the child and took the child back to start the Treacherous Hour!

In the meantime, Child #1 was waking up from the anesthesia so I took my turn to go sit with the child. They had me sit the child in my lap so that the child would start waking up and as I sit the child up, said child's eyes FLEW open and the child start's saying "what the?? what the?? what the??" over and over and over...do I Dare? Yes, I dare'd....more laughter ensued and said child pretty much gets shaken awake (albeit gently) by Mommy's Laughter! Needless to say there were a few moments "caught on tape" by a loving Aunty who shall also remain Nameless. There were Mini-Drunken-Master-Walks "filmed" as poor child tried to walk across a friends living room to grab some toys; even moments when Child #1 is leaning against a hallway wall in "pause mode" on his way to get MORE toys! The child had no idea really that Dizzy was the state it was in...so sad, so sad, and yet...the moments that were "caught on tape" has the child's mommy laughing hysterically in the background.

In the end, all three children came out okay. They were All Smiles and Chipmunk Cheeked on the drive home and they even got to have chocolate shakes once we got to Evanston. Besides having high hopes that they recall this day with "fondness" and aren't frightened by The Dentist, I hope the parts where their Mean Mommy laughed at them remain Foggy! (Of course, when they are old enough to read this blogpost then it's all over for me!)

Speaking of Hair...

Do not be afraid blog followers ~ the picture in the Header is incentive to get an updated Family Foto...we can't help the windswept look that we've got going on in the pic...Kaua'i Winds were high that day! :D

Alright, alright...and Aaron had a hat on before pictures were taken, and Austin's hair was "brushed in a rush", Henry has unruly hair and gel doesn't work on his head o' hair in humid conditions, and Hannah doesn't LIKE for Momma to touch her hair, and I...well, I didn't wanna be vain and crop myself out of the family pic and post a solo up of just ME in the Header now did I? BWAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!

stay tuned...

Care About Your Looks Much?

As most of you may know, I have 1 Girl & 2 Boys. What surprises me the most is that it isn't my girl that cares much about the clothes she's wearing {well, maybe just a litle bit}, or the way her hair looks {serioulsy, you'd think her mom didn't brush her hair before she went to school and honestly her Mom DIDN'T...Hannah likes the "rolled outta bed" look just fine}, it's my middle child, the boy we affectionately call Bubba that "needsta get his hair did" just about every morning.

This is the child that cried when Aaron cut his hair {he was only 3 or 4 at the time} because it wasn't cut to his liking. He likes his hair to be juuuust so, and even if that "just so" style looks like he slept on the right side of his head, so be it! As long as my Bubba thinks the kid looking back at him from the Mirror looks Handsome, then Handsome he Shall Be ~ at least in this Mama's Book! Love you Bubba!